Good news for chocolate lovers: An Italian study found that 6.7 grams of dark chocolate per day is the ideal amount to protect against cardiovascular disease.

Eating a small square of dark chocolate two or three times a week keeps the “inflammatory process” under control in the body, the researchers with the Molisani Project found. A chronic inflammatory state is a risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease, including myocardial infarction and stroke.

Researchers said the benefits tend to disappear if one eats more than 6.7 grams of chocolate per day. Previous studies have found that milk chocolate does not have the same effect as dark chocolate.

Food Quiz

In the typical grocery store, bananas are sold in clusters of four to six. On the stem, bananas typically grow in larger clusters. What do agriculturists call ten or more bananas growing together on a single stem?

A. Hands
B. Banans
C. Clumps
D. Crowds

(www.funtrivia.com)

Answer is at bottom of column

Wise to the Word: Roux

ROUX (rue) is a combination of butter and flour mixed and cooked over medium heat.

Mix 2 tablespoons of butter and two of flour, heat and stir until combined. Then increase the heat and add milk or broth and stir quickly to thicken into a sauce or soup. There are three styles: white, blond and brown, determined by cooking length.

-- The Repository

Number to Know: 79.2

One cup of raw, sliced apricots has 79.2 calories. – calorielab.com

The Dish On … “Baked: New Frontiers in Baking”

Hip. Cool. Fashion-forward. These aren’t adjectives you’d ordinarily think of applying to baked goods. Think again. Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito left their advertising careers behind, pooled their life savings, and opened their dream bakery, Baked, in Brooklyn.

This book contains creations like a Malt Ball Cake with Milk Chocolate Frosting, spicy Chipotle Cheddar Biscuits and a Sweet and Salty Cake.

Which is not to say that Lewis and Poliafito sidestep tradition absolutely. Their Chocolate Pie (whose filling uses Ovaltine) pays loving homage to the classic roadside-diner dessert. Their Baked Brownies will wow even the most discriminating brownie connoisseur.

From the Beer Nut’s Blog

I’m taking part in a beer vs. wine dinner in a few weeks. It’s going to be a friendly night with one friend doing the cooking, another friend choosing the wine and me choosing the beer.

The diners will vote on which goes better with each dish - the beer or wine. And although it’s expected to be a friendly night, I don’t want to lose, so I’m seeking some help.

The night will start with a cheese plate. The next dish will be a romaine lettuce, spinach, bacon and egg salad. The main course will be pasta with hazelnut spinach pesto and Italian sausage. The dessert will be a carrot cake.

Any advice? What would you look to try to do? What beers would you bring?

To read more from the Beer Nut, visit http://blogs.townonline.com/beernut/

Food Quiz Answer

A. Hands

GateHouse News Service

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